In the 2012-2013 financial year, Twiggy made $100 million alone from dividend payouts as Fortescue Metals Group's majority shareholder and remains in the top 10 richest people in Australia, according to the BRW Rich 200.
Recently he’s stepped away from running the business to focus on philanthropy, including setting up Indigenous employment schemes such as GenerationOne, which aims to end the disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians through employment.
But the climb to the top hasn’t been without its challenges.
The once stammering "country bumpkin" - who was virtually unemployable in his early twenties because of a chronic stutter - has earned the name "Silver Tongue" among Perth’s stockbroking circles for his powers of persuasion.
This year, Twiggy Forrest and wife Nicola pledged a staggering $65 million to Western Australian universities, the biggest charitable donation in Australian history.
And the mining tycoon is standing firm even as traditional owners from the Pilbara Region, the Yindjibarndi people, struggle to reach a resolution over the native title and land use agreements for the FMG Solomon Mine development.
He has made it clear he abhors cash handouts or welfare but his stance has caused a debate over the operations at the contentious Solomon Hub in the Pilbara region.
Find out what’s behind the mining magnate who polarises communities on this week's Living Black Conversations.
Catch Living Black Conversations Tuesday at 8pm on NITV (free to air Channel 34 or pay TV channel 144) Or on Sunday at 5pm on SBS One.
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